


Promises

by CGJ



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Ash is a sweet sunshine boy, Brock as No.1 big bro, First work in fandom, Gen, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Maybe - Freeform, i guess I exagerrated, i wanted to write angst, so i chose this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:46:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29769507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CGJ/pseuds/CGJ
Summary: Ash leaves on a journey, and each time he comes back different.Brock watches, and waits.
Relationships: Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Satoshi no Pikachu | Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Takeshi | Brock
Comments: 21
Kudos: 103





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Nothing to Fear but Fear itself (5+1)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21131789) by [Maiden22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiden22/pseuds/Maiden22). 



At first glance, Ash Ketchum is your everyday newbie trainer, with big dreams and an even bigger ego, and Brock sees nothing extraordinary in him. He accepts his gym battle request and wipes the floor with him, and either expects him to return in a few days, or to never see him again. 

The boy returns the very next day and electrocutes his Onix and Brock is a fool because for some reason he isn’t shocked(hah!) by this. And then his long lost father turns up, and apparently Ash has met him, and Brock is on the road to Cerulean with Ash and his friend Misty, who he has definitely seen before. 

That should have been Brock’s first clue. 

* * *

Everyone dreams about something or the other. A dream is something that keeps you going, something that makes you work hard, keep working until you make it. But what comes next?

After his father had left, Brock had needed to step up. For years he had raised his siblings, taken care of the gym, and barely managed to get by. For so many years, his dream had been to get out, perhaps travel a bit, meet a beautiful girl, and…

And now he’s done it. He’s out. So now what? 

He didn’t know. But he would continue to travel and perhaps he would find one. 

After all, he is around one of the biggest dreamers of all. 

Ash Ketchum is a trainer, the likes of which Brock has never seen. Full of ego just waiting to be beaten down by the harsh reality of the world, like Brock himself has been. But beyond all that, is a love for pokemon that is so deep, Brock cannot find the end. There is more kindness and compassion in that small form than anywhere he has ever seen that Brock is amazed by it. 

He is full of life and heart, full of innocence and joy at the world around him, and Brock even fears for the day when he is inevitably torn down. After all, he knows the world, how terribly cruel it can be. He knows the reality. 

But he can do one thing. Try to protect that innocence, that endless compassion, that purity for as long as he can. It is the least he can do, and it is all he can do.

* * *

Brock is always surprised by Ash. The boy does not think things through at all, and seems to think that brute force is enough to overpower any enemy. He hates listening to Misty, and their fights are usually the highlight of the day.

It always takes Brock back, back to the memories of when he would stop fights between his siblings. His life hadn’t been all bad, he supposes, especially when they would crawl into his lap and make him tell them a story. Their fights feel like home. They feel like home. 

Ash is pure and innocent and so very naïve. He is rambunctious and full of energy, like all of his siblings. Misty is a spitfire, always so quick to anger, but kind and caring nonetheless. She is another who has been hurt by the world, and wants to escape. Brock can tell, because he is the same. 

Ash collects a team and trains hard, under Brock’s watchful eye. Brock cooks food, nags at the two of them to sleep and takes care of them and all their pokemon. It’s nice to take care of people. 

He can see himself doing it for the rest of his life. 

* * *

Ash has now acquired a Charmander. A fragile, sorry thing and Brock feels a pang in his heart. It clearly needs help. Another pokemon, neglected by it’s trainer. It will be very difficult and dangerous to even attempt to rehabilitate it. There is so much to consider. It could grow up to become very dependent on people, not being able to last a day without the presence of a human. Or it could grow distrustful of humans, perceiving them all to be just like the one who had hurt it. It is a job for a professional.

Which is why Brock is against Ash taking in the pokemon. 

“Ash! You can’t take in the Charmander! It’s traumatised and hurt, and it needs help. Help you cannot give it.“ 

“What do you mean? I can take care of it! I’m not gonna be like that guy! I’ll treat Charmander like it should be!” 

Brock represses the urge to rub his forehead. “Ash, this isn’t about what you can do! Charmander won’t become better just because you want to be it’s friend. It doesn’t trust humans! It’ll cling to you now, but later down the line it could hurt you, badly. You have to leave it to someone who can to give it the treatment it needs! You don’t have the experience you need to help it, and neither do I! You should leave it to those who know how to do this!” 

But Ash, determined and reckless, the idiot, just glares at him. Glares like he’s never seen before, and suddenly Brock isn’t so sure that Ash is as naïve as he thinks. 

“I can do it.” And Brock is alone. He gives into the urge to rub his head, and for the first time, wonders what he’s gotten himself into. 

Charmander clings to Ash, and gets better, and Brock is thoroughly impressed, until it evolves and proceeds to breathe fire into Ash’s face, and suddenly Brock is scared and worried. 

He isn’t going to say ‘I told you so’, but…he told him so. 

Charmeleon is an angry ball of rage and mistrust, and Ash is bearing the brunt of it. Brock isn’t quite sure what to do. On one hand, releasing Charmeleon now would only convince it further that all humans are out to get it, and the situation would become worse. But on the other hand, his friend is getting hurt. It is only a matter of time before something serious happens . 

But it’s not like Brock has any say in the matter, because Ash is determined to keep trying. 

Misty confronts him about it, and that attempt dissolves into a screaming match and Brock hurries to diffuse the situation before hurtful words are spoken. 

Misty is frustrated as she watches him try and fail to get through to Charmeleon, and says “I don’t know what he’s thinking, that idiot! He’s going to get hurt, and he doesn’t use his brain to see that at all!” Brock can empathise with her. 

But. He can’t help but marvel at how Ash wants to keep helping someone who seems to have nothing but hatred for him. No matter how much he keeps getting hurt, he keeps going back, exhibiting a patience that Brock did not know he could show. 

It is both inspiring and worrying at the same time. 

“I just hope he doesn’t get hurt.” Misty whispers. Brock hopes the same. But he doesn’t know what will happen, and there is nothing he can do but wait and see. So…

Brock waits. 

(Soon, Charizard begins to listen, and Ash smiles, as a feeling of pride and relief blossoms in Brock’s heart. Perhaps Ash can manage just fine on his own.) 

* * *

Brock has never met someone as amazing as professor Ivy. She’s beautiful, smart, kind and exactly Brock’s type. He also enjoys helping her with her research. It’s a pleasant, trouble free existence.

Ash and Misty call him every other day, from their travels in the Orange Islands. They’ve met a nice kid named Tracey, who seems to try to take care of them like Brock used to. He likes Tracey. 

Ash takes part in the Orange league, because he’s Ash, and Brock cheers him on from the comfort of Ivy’s lab. 

Ash is much better of a trainer now. He’s still kind of cocky, but he seems to take battles seriously. Misty has mellowed out much more since the beginning of their journey, and Brock is proud of them both. 

For a while, everything is peaceful. Everything’s peaceful, no one is in danger, nothing happens and Brock is happy. 

And then the world goes to absolute hell. 

Brock doesn’t really now any details of what’s happening. He briefly hears the words “legendary”, but his hands are full, and he tries his best to concentrate on that. He pushes down the worry in his chest when he hears that the epicentre of this catastrophe is Shamouti Island in the Orange Islands, despite it threatening to consume him. 

Ash and Misty are on that Island. 

But Brock is here, and he is safe, and they aren’t. Knowing Ash, he decided to help out and he could be in the middle of that whole disaster, and Brock isn’t there to help. Misty would follow him and so would Tracey and-

Brock feels sick. He wants to throw up or run to Ivy and demand to know what’s happening or even just curl up and cry. 

He’d promised to take care of him. But there is nothing he can do, except wait. 

So he does. He mills about doing what he can, with his body here but mind far, far away, on a few Islands not too far from Kanto. 

Brock waits. 

(Somehow, it all turns out all right, and Brock pretends to not notice the trembling of Misty’s lip, the tiredness in Ash’s eyes and the all too familiar look in both their faces, which speaks of hardship and the loss of innocence to the cruelty of the world.) 

* * *

He hears, later, from Misty about the prophecy. The Chosen One.

Chosen by the gods themselves, to keep the Universe in balance. 

What a grand title. 

The more he says it to himself, the less grand it sounds. 

It sounds haunting, cursed. 

It sounds like death. 

* * *

Brock’s first instinct is to call his family, after they return to the Pokemon Centre. This whole experience has revolved around family, and Brock wants to make sure his family is all right.

After a tearful talk with his family, Brock wanders around the Pokemon Centre searching for Misty. Ash is talking with his mother, and Brock would not interfere. After all, this whole ordeal was a shocking affair for the both of them. 

It is there he encounters Delia, walking around aimlessly. She comes over to him with an urgency in her steps, and Brock wonders what happened between her and her son. 

Their conversation is brief. Brock leaves it with one thing in his mind. 

“Please, be there for him. He’s all I have.” 

He finds Ash all alone with just Pikachu in his lap. He extends the offer to talk, and Ash tells him he just might take him up on it sometime. 

Brock waits. 

(He never does.) 

* * *

Brock does not make promises.

People do not like it when promises are broken, after all, and Brock never likes to put himself into situations where he might hurt someone. 

But Brock has made a promise to himself, and he will keep it. 

He finds Ash looking out of the boat, a strange look in his eyes. He joins his friend at the rail, and puts an arm around his shoulders. Ash leans into the touch. 

They watch the deep blue water swirling ever so gently, a hint of light blue shining through, looking just like eyes, eyes full of gratitude, just like the eyes of one who had kissed goodbye. 

Brock does not ask, and Ash does not say. 

The eyes vanish. As if it was all a dream. 

They stare in front, as the city of Altomare disappears from view. 

Brock waits. 

(No answer comes.)

* * *

They set up camp a bit away from Rota. It was nice while it lasted, to be special guests of a queen. She had been beautiful and kind, and Brock also misses Kidd dearly.

He checks up on May and Max. It is the first time that they have been involved in some crazy affair like this, and his top priority is to make sure that they are safe. 

May and Max seem fine for the most part and Brock is satisfied. 

He makes to retire for the night, but notices the familiar figure of his friend creeping away from his tent. He follows, although he realises that Ash probably wants to be alone. He finds him leaning against a tree, absently petting Pikachu, who seems to be asleep. 

Ash, however is wide awake. He’s staring at the stars, or so it seems, because it looks like he’s searching for something, something beyond the stars. 

Oh. 

Lucario. 

“There’s nothing more you could have done”, he ventures, and Ash’s head snaps to face him, a strange look on his face. His eyes shine with guilt and sadness. He looks tired, in more ways then one, and Brock’s heart breaks. 

“He wouldn’t want you to grieve. He’d want you to live. Isn’t that why he did it?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Then live. Do it for yourself, and do it for him. Don’t let the memory of his death take away from the experiences you shared while he was here. Be happy and honour his sacrifice. It’s what he’d want.” 

“Yeah.” 

He doesn’t move, or say anything else. Brock slides down to sit next to him and sees Pikachu’s eyes spare him a glance full of something he cannot understand before sliding shut once more. He resists the urge to smile. 

Brock’s eyes find Ash’s, a silent invitation. Ash takes it and slides into Brock’s embrace. 

They stay that way for the rest of the night. Many times, Brock catches Ash looking at him, and he sees something of a pleading look in his eyes. 

Brock waits. 

(He wonders if that’s enough.) 

* * *

Sinnoh. Everything’s bad in Sinnoh.

Brock is left behind most of the time as Ash and Dawn jump into danger to save the world once more. It is a horrible experience for him, to be absolutely helpless as his younger friends walk the fine line between life and death. 

Ash has been doing this for way too long. 

They return safely, always, and are thanked, praised, hailed. 

Dawn is bewildered, Ash is resigned, Brock is worried. 

Ash carries on, with a bright smile, cheery face and his usual burning excitement to meet pokemon, win badges and win the whole league. He finds a rival in Paul. All seems to be well. If Brock didn’t know Ash any better, he’d be fooled. 

Ash has always been very good at lying. 

Ash adopts a Chimchar, Paul’s abused Chimchar. Raising it will be even more dangerous than Charmander. Brock wants to confront him, tell him he’s ridiculous, that he can’t do this. But he sees the steely glint in Ash’s eyes, powerful look in his eyes that has tamed many a legendary, the authoritative voice full of command and control, a power which Ash himself does not know he possesses. 

Brock does not say anything. He watches. Like always. 

He watches how Ash looks at Chimchar. With pride, happiness, joy. But sometimes, there is a strange look in his eyes. A look of sorrow, guilt, acceptance, and other things that Brock cannot decipher. He sits and stares as if in some sort of trance, as though he is looking at everything and nothing at the same time. It scares and worries him. 

It does not happen often, and Brock usually forgets about it for the most part, since the very next hour Ash jumps back to his usual self as though nothing was wrong. 

But despite the lies and cheer, Brock is the only one who can see what is happening. 

It only gets worse as the journey continues. But Brock cannot help. He does not know what to do. There is only one thing he can do. 

Brock waits. 

(Waits for someone to notice, as he supports his friend however he can, but clearly it is not enough. It never is.

No one does.) 

* * *

Brock leaves. He wishes he could stay. He should stay. But he leaves anyway.

They part with a promise to stay in touch, and Brock always keeps his promises. 

Ash heads off to Unova, and Brock is soon immersed in studies. Becoming a doctor is no easy feat. 

He stays in contact as much as he can, and visit’s Mrs. Ketchum whenever he can. Misty drops by, so does Tracey, and Brock settles into a mundane existence in a life of routine. 

His calls with Ash are a highlight of his weeks. They talk about random, useless things. The girls Brock has met, the new pokemon Ash has found in the new region, and senselessly pass the time. 

Brock does notice the eyes that look more tired than usual, the way he avoids eye contact sometimes, and thinks about his promise. But he says nothing. 

He extends the offer to talk, one which he has never really rescinded, but Ash just smiles indulgently at him and closes the call after a goodbye. 

He does not want to talk. He cannot make him. 

Brock waits. 

(He’s been waiting a long time.) 

* * *

Brock has always known Ash is special.

There is no way he can’t. He is kind, generous, caring, loyal, honest, determined and loves the world and all it’s inhabitants like no other. He is strong and resilient. He keeps a warm smile on, encouraging and kind, and supports everyone both people and pokemon, despite everything. 

He is wonderful. 

Pokemon and people alike are all drawn to him. He touches everyone and changes everyone for the better. He influences everyone. He gives them all hope. 

Legendary Pokemon, the gods of the world, feel drawn towards him. He’s a part of prophecies more often than not, and he helps everyone with a smile and a desire to help out of the goodness of his heart. 

But there are things, strange things, that happen around him. 

Everytime he’s around him, Brock can feel a sense of pure power. He feels strong, powerful, hopeful, confident…he feels like he can do anything. 

It is not just him. Their pokemon all seem to gain an extra power while they come near him, a strength like they’ve never shown before. 

Ash’s very presence seems to have that effect on everyone. He has felt it himself. The warmth that can be felt when Ash enters a room, like the warmth of the sun, comforting and energising, his very presence a beautiful feeling. 

It is not only an emotional thing. It is very much special, different, amazing. 

His mind takes him to Rota. To Iron Island. To the Aura Guardians. 

It takes him to the prophecy. The Chosen One. 

It feels the same way. A Grand and imposing title, seemingly well respected, a thing to be revered. Chosen by the gods, a true honor. 

But to him, it feels like nothing but pain and suffering. 

Ash has always been a strong person. He is always smiling, encouraging and warm. He inspires people. They all look up to him and admire his strength. He always seems so unaffected by everything. Untouchable. 

They don’t see what he sees. 

He sees tired eyes, a smile that doesn’t quite reach the eyes, a pale face, and a mask that cracks for a second before it is smooth and unassuming once more, a fake smile back in place, so convincing that it seems natural. 

They don’t hear the words stained with experience that a child should not know, don’t see the eyes that have seen too much. 

They don’t see the traumatized child, world weary and tired, hurt and mistrusting, beneath the strong, powerful, hopeful exterior. 

Ash has always been good at lying. 

The feeling of death imminent washes over him again, and he can’t stop the shudder that pervades his body. 

He wonders why it had to be him.

* * *

Ash stops calling in Kalos.

He cuts of all contact, and only seems to call his mother, albeit very rarely. 

Brock doesn’t think too much of it at first. Ash is travelling, and it’s not easy to talk through a time difference, so Brock chalks it up to Ash being too busy to call. He’s busy too, so he forgets about it after a while. 

The voice at the back of his head, the one telling him that something is wrong doesn’t stop. Not really. 

The days pass. 

Then, one day, as Brock scrolls through the news, he sees it. 

The Kalos Crisis. 

He reads through the news with a feverish urgency, and falls onto his chair in shock. An overwhelming worry floods his body. 

It was a few weeks ago, and Brock should have been paying attention. Because Ash was certainly involved in this. 

He sits there in shock for a long time, hands clenched and trembling at his sides, and them leaps to his phone and calls Mrs. Ketchum. 

He needs to see Ash. 

There is no response, but Brock can’t wait anymore. He rushes out, and boards the first bus he can find to Pallet town. He needs to see his friend. 

He’s let himself down. He’s let his friend down. Not anymore. No longer. 

Brock doesn’t wait. 

(He’s waited long enough.)

* * *

He finds Ash in his room. He looks tired. Hurt and scared. Brock heart clenches painfully, and he can feel the tears building up in his eyes, but he pushes them away. This isn’t about him.

Brock heads over to him, and stands right in front of him. Ash is staring straight ahead, Pikachu in a death grip in his arms. His eyes seem unseeing, mind far away. He snaps back into reality with a jerk as soon as Brock bends down to stare him in the eyes. 

“Oh hey Brock! Didn’t see ya there!” 

The blank expression is gone, replaced by the friendly, cheerful expression that Ash usually wears around people, that only breaks around him. It doesn’t fool him. 

He can see the pain, the fear, the hurt in those eyes. The smile falters, and haunted eyes meet his. 

Even the strongest people need help, and this is too much to carry alone. 

Brock puts his hands on his friend’s shoulders, and doesn’t react to the flinch that follows. Ash keeps himself tense and a question forms at his lips, but it dies down. 

Neither of them speak, because there is nothing to say, but both of them know. 

The silent plea for help, to carry the weight of everything. One that should have been fulfilled long ago. 

The mask cracks. 

Brock throws his arms around his friend as tears begin to fall. There is no wailing, or exclamations of comfort. Just silent tears, and his own supporting presence, strong and grounding. 

Pikachu is still in his arms, reassuring in his own way. Brock remembers that Pikachu is the one who has been for his friend, when Brock was not. He has kept Ash together, and seen him through everything. Their eyes meet, and gratitude is exchanged. 

They stay there for a long time, and Ash does not look healed at the end. He still looks traumatized, hurt and defeated. But there is a smile, small but real, on his face. 

The sun shines through the window, as though the gods are watching, happy and content, their presence illuminating the room in a mystical glow, radiating warmth and peace. Brock feels the hope, the power and the happiness well up in his heart. He smiles back, and pulls his friend, his brother, back in. 

There, Brock makes another promise.

He’ll never wait again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic in this fandom. I'll admit, it might not be very good because I lost track of this somewhere in the middle, and it was really hard to get it done properly, but I worked really hard on it. So I decided to post it anyway.
> 
> Reviews would be much appreciated. Thank You for reading!


End file.
